Air-brake coupling



3 sham-sheet 1.

(No Model.) A N W. A. 81: B. S. H. HARRIS.

AIR BRAKE COUPLING. N0. 544,253. Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

0 ,i l2 I 3 Sheetsf-Sheet 2 W. A. 8v B. S. H. HARRIS.

(No Model.)

AIR BRAKE GOUPLING.

Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

W/T/VESSES.' Q. l m

. ATTORNEYS.

3 Sheets- Sheet 3.

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W. A. 8v B. S. H. HARRIS.

AIR BRAKE GOUPLING.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM A. HARRIS AND BENJAMIN S. H. HARRIS, OF GREENVILLE, SOUTHCAROLINA.

AIR-BRAKECOUPLING.

SPECIFICATION V'OIl'lliIlg part 0f Letters .Pater-l1; NO. 544,253,dated. August 6, 1895. .Application filed .Tuly 14, 189,4. Serial No.517,587. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern-, Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. I-IARRI andBENJAMIN S. H. HARRIS, of Greenville, in the county of Greenville andState of South Carolina, have invented a new and useful Improvement inAir-Brake Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in automatic air-brake couplings,vandhas for an object to provide a coupling with devices whereby in case atrain is broken the valve or valves of the broken off or detached carwill be adjusted to set the brakesthereof, and the valves of the engineportion of the train Will be adjusted to cause the engineers whistle toblow.

The invention has for a further object to provide locking deviceswhereby when the couplings are brought together they will be locked insuch position until the cars are uncoupled and move apart.'

The invention has for a further object to provide a coupling-carriercomposed of sections or slides movable longitudinally one upon theother, whereby the movement of one upon the other may operate toactuate` certain movable parts, hereinafter more fullyl described.

The invention has for further objects other improvements; and itconsists in the novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements ofparts, as will be hereinafter described, and` pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of our improvements, portionsof two coupled` cars being also shown. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one ofthe couplings, a portion of the other coupling being shown to completethe illus-y tration of the guiding devices. Fig. 3 is a perspective Viewof the front portion of onel of the couplings. Fig.4 is a perspectiveView of the rear portion of one of the couplings. Fig. 5 is a verticallongitudinal section of the front portion of one of the couplings. Figs.6, 7, 8, and 9 are crosssectional views on, respectively, lines 6 6, 77, 8 8, and 9 9 of Fig. 5. Fig. l0 is a vertical transverse section onabout line l0 l0 of Fig. 5. Fig. 1l is a detail view of the clamp forconnecting the standard coupling-head with the improved coupling. Fig.12 illustrates the manner of applying herein.

heads A' carry the signal-pipe sections andv the heads A the train-pipesections. The signal and train pipe sections are connected with thesignaling Aand breaking devices in any suitable manner, and as suchdevices may be of the well-known types it does not appear to benecessary to show or describe the same The two heads A A are employed inpassenger traffic, but on freight-trains, when the signal-pipe is notused,.the head A may be a dummy, something in the nature of a head beingpreferred to maintain a proper balance of lthe parts and the desiredeven pressure of the train-pipe heads together.

To permit the coupling of our heads A A to the standard coupling-headsB, such as shown in Fig; 12, and thus permit the ready coupling of thecars equipped with our improvements with cars having the standardheadswe provide our heads on opposite sides with ribs or flanges b, one ofwhich forms a bearing for engagement bythe standard-head and the otherfor a box-like clamp C, whose jaws C slip over and bind together theflange band a corresponding flange b on the standard-coupling, thussecuring a secure locking together of the standard and the improvedheads.

The heads are provided with valves D, which in their detail constructionare similar to ordinary plug-valves, the valves of the signal and trainheads being usually alike; but they are so set that in practice thevalve of the signal-head A is opened slightly before that of thetrain-head A, as will more fully appear hereinafter. The heads are sosupported, as presently described, that they are movable backward andforward, and we provide valve operating devices which serve to open thevalves as the heads move back, and close them as the heads move forward,and this is an important feature of this improvement.

Now, ordinarily in automatic couplings the valve of one head is openedby engagement ICO LIL

with some part of the meeting heads so that the valves of such meetingheads are opened by the impact thereof. Our coupling is different, inthat each coupling carries with it the device for opening and closingits own valve or valves, so that it is not dependent upon the perfectionof any valve-tripping device carried upon its mate. The detailconstruction of the valve-operating devices will appear more fullyhereinafter.

rlhe head-carrier is composed of two members E and F, sliding one uponthe other. The member E supports the coupling-heads A A', being to suchend provided at its outer end with an end carrier-frame composed of aninner section G and an outer section G', secured respectively to theinner and outer ends of the headsA A and serving to rigidly and securelysupport such heads in place. 'lhese front and rear sections in additionto supporting the heads support the guiding devices presenly described,and serve to protect the stem extensions d of the Valves D and thecrank-arms D leading from said valve-stem and connected by pitmen D2with the member F, and preferably to the cross- ,head F at the outerextremityof said member.

The guiding devices for directing theheads properly together aresupported on the headcarrying member, and are composed of the flaringfork H, arranged at one side of the head, the finger H arranged at theopposite side and in line centrally between the tines of the fork H, andthe upright H2 at the base of the finger l-l. By means of thefork-finger and upright co-operating with similar parts on a meetingcoupling the heads will be brought accurately into conjunction. Whilethe members E and F may obviously be arranged to move one upon theotherin various ways, it is preferred to construct them as shown, themember E sliding in the member F, the latter beingahollowtube and thememberE sliding in and projecting beyond the op posite ends thereof, asshown. The member E is keyed from turning in the part F preferably byproviding a groove e longitudinally in said member or rod E to receive apin e', projecting from the member F.

The rod E is spring-actuated and normally pressed forward or outward bya spring E', which may preferably be a coil-spring surrounding lhe rod Ewithin the-tube F, and bearing atits ends against suitable abutmentsupon the parts E F. This spring is of sufficient strength to throw themember E outward to its extreme outermost position and to effect theproper movement of the valve-operating devices, and of the devices forlocking the meeting heads.

Now the means for locking the meeting heads together comprise what maybe termed a latch I, supported on the end frame of the head-carryingmember of one coupling, and having at its swinging end a portion t' toengage at J with the head-frame of a meeting coupling. This latch issupported on the member E, being preferably pivoted at t" thereto, andis connected with the member F, so that the movement ofthe member Ealong said member F either sets or releases the lock. In effecting thisoperation of the latch we provide it with an outwardly-projecting armI', and connect to the latter one end of a pitman I2, the other end ofwhich connects with the member F, and preferably to thecrosshead Fthereof, as shown. Now it will be seen from the foregoing that when thecoupling-heads meet and are pressed back to their innermost positionsthe lock devices are ad- `iusted orsetto bind the meeting heads firmlytogether, so that there is no danger of the heads being forced apart bythe air-pressure unless the cars be uncoupled. In fact the more pressureexerted between said heads to force them apart the more securely andfirmly are the lock devices caused to bind them tc- A gether.

While the member E slides in the member F and is spring-actuatedtherein, it is preferred to arrange the memberF to slide in its supportor bracket K and to actuate the said member F by a spring F2 strongerthan the spring E', so that the spring F2 will not be compressed untilafter the springl E has been compressed and the end frame of member Ehas been-moved back against the outer end of the member F. By thisrelative strength of springs E F2 when the meeting heads abut the springE is first compressed, the valves opening, and coupling locking devicesare operated. After such operation has been effected, a further forcingof the heads together partially compresses the spring F2 and the meetingheads will be pressed together so tightly as to avoid any leakage. Bysupporting the member F, to be pushed back or repressed as described, weare able to so set or adjust the brake-couplings that the carcouplingsmay have the desired limited play without in any degree releasing thelock connection of the brake-couplings and without closing or to anyextent partially closing the valves unless the cars be uncoupled. If thecars be uncoupled, the spring F2 will first expand and then the springE', the latter throwing the heads and attached parts forward. Theinitial or slightest forward movement of the member E, bythe expansionof its spring E', releases the lock devices, and the further forwardmovement of said member E first slightly opens the signal-valve and thenopens the train-valve, and the extent to which said member movesoutwardor forward determines whether the engineer-s whistle will blow orthe brakes be set, and this extent of movement is controlled byautomatic shifting regulating devices caused to operate by the movementof the cars and serving to limit the clos ing movement of or hold openone-the signal-valve if at the rear end of a car or to hold open bothvalves if at the front end of a car and the train be accidentally brokenat such coupling. By front and rear ends of ICO lIO

v"or partial closing of the valves.

the car it should be understood we mean with respect to the direction ofmotion of the train, the engine being at the front. This shiftingregulatingl device, as suggested, operates to limit the movement of thevalve-closing devices variably-that is to say, it permits a certainmovement of such closing devices if its respective coupling is on therear end of a train that happens to break While in motion, or it permitsa further motion of said devices if its particular coupling be on thefront end of the rear or broken-off section of the train, whether thatsection be one or more cars, the result being that the engineerssignal-whistle is sounded, but the brakes are not automatically appliedto his end of the train, while the brakes on the rear or broken-offportion of the train will be applied.

It will be seen, therefore, that, broadly, our invention contemplates ashifting regulating device operated by the movement of the t-rainoperating to limit the movement of the valveoperating devices variablyunder different conditions, limiting it to a certain extent under onecondition and to a further extent under opposite conditions, suchconditions being the position the particular coupling occupies with-respect to the direction of ,Inovement of the train.

In the construction shown and as preferred the shifting regulatingdevice is what may be termed a vane L, acted upon by the draft createdby the movement of the train, and we find it convenient to make thisvane in the nature of a wheel having its sails L xed on the ends of armsL2, connected with a hub L3, it may be, by casting or Welding the armsintegral with the hub, the latter being journaled on the rear end of themember E, and it is preferred to secure it upon the said member by acollar or collars M, as shown, so it can be adjusted to accurately stopthe member E at the proper point to secure the desired closing We alsoprovide the wheel with a counterbalance L4, by which it is brought backto normal position to permit both the val-ves to fully close when thecar is at rest and is uncoupled. Stops L5 L5 are provided on the memberE to restrict the turning of the Wheel to a partial revolution, and onthe member F we provide short and long stops N and N for engagement bythe portion L6 of the wheel when said Wheel is turned to one side or theother. When the stops L6 engage the short stops N the member E isstopped in position to only hold slightly open the valve in thesignal-pipe, while if the stops L6 engage the longer stops N both valveswill be held open, while if the wheel be at normal position its stops L6will pass up between the stops N N and the valves Will both close.

It will be noticed that the vanes are so inclined that the vane at therear of the car with respect to the direction of movement will be thrownby the draft into position to cause the stops Lb to engage the shortstops N, and in case of breakage of the train only the engineerssignal-pipe valve will be held open, signaling that the train is broken,but not applying the brakes to the engineers portion; but it will beseen that the vanes on the front end of the car broken off from theengineers section are setto bring the stop L6 against the long stops N',so that the trainpipe valve of the broken-o car will be held open, andthe brakes of such car will be applied as a result of the air exhaustingout of such valve, as is well understood. Thisoperation results from thedraft causing the Wheel to turn in one direction if the draft strikesagainst one of the faces of said Wheel and in the'opposite direction ifit strikes the opposite face.

It will be understood that when the train is broken the wheelscontrolling the valvesv of the broken sections remain in such positionuntil the cars are coupled up again or until the said Wheels arereleased by hand.

To permit such wheels to be conveniently manipulated if at any time itis desired to move them when the car is at rest, we prefer to extend alight wire or cord from the same to the side of the' car, taking carethat such wire or rod be not too heavy to interfere with the freemovement of the wheel in the operation thereof, as before described.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In an air brake coupling thecombination with the coupling heads and their valves, of a shiftingregulating device set or adj usted by the movement of the train andoperating to limit the movement of the valve controlling devicesVariably under different conditions substantially as set forth.

2. An air brake coupling provided with valves and with a shiftingregulating device automatically set or adjusted by the movement of thetrain and operating to limit the movement of the valve closing devicesvariably under different conditions substantially as set forth.

3. VIn an airbrake coupling the combination with the valves of a windvane operated upon by the draft created by the movement of the cars andmovable thereby into one or the other position and devices intermediatesaid vane and valve whereby the said vane may control the closing ofsaid valves substantially as set forth.

4. In an air brake coupling the combination with the valves of a windoperated device arranged for operation by the draft created by themovement of the cars and intermediate devices between said valves andwind operated device whereby the closing of the valves should the trainbreak may be regulated substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In an air brake couplingthe combination of the head and its valve thecarrier member supporting said head, the carrier member along which saidhead carrying member slides IOO a wind vane movable upon the headcarrying member and stops upon the other member for engagement by saidvane and operative connections between the valves and the member inrelation to'which the valve carrying member slides substantiall)7l asset forth.

6. In an air brake coupling the heads the valves and the carriercomposed of members sliding one upon the other combined with anautomatically shifting regulating device supported on one of saidmembers and engaging stops upon the other member and operativeconnections between the valve andthe member in relation to which saidvalve slides, substantially as set forth.

7. In an air brake coupling the combination with the carrier memberssliding one upon the other, the heads and their valves and op- Y erativeconnections between said valves and the member in relation to which thevalves slide of the wind vane journaled upon one of the carrier membersand limitingr stops upon the other member for engagement by said vanesubstantially as set forth.

8. In an air brake coupling the combination of the valves the carriermembers sliding one upon the other, one of said members being providedwith stops arranged one in advance of the other, awind vane having itshub journaled upon the other member and provided with projectingportions arranged to engage one or the other of the stops of the otherniember in case the train breaks and operative connections between thevalves and the member iu relation to which the valves slidesubstantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. In an air brake coupling the combination of the valves, devices bywhich said valves are opened and closed independent of devices on themeeting coupling, and an automatically shifting regulating device bywhich to control the'said valves in case the train breaks substantiallyas set forth.

10. In an air brake couplingthe combination of the heads and theirvalves operative connections with said valves, a wheel like vanejournaled centrally and having the opposite sails and the intermediatecounterbalance and stops for engagement by the said vane whereby tolimit the movement of the operative connections and thereby control theclosing of the valves substantially as set forth.

11. In an air brake coupling substantially as described a coupling headcarrier composed of longitudinal members sliding one upon the othercombined with a shifting regulating device by which to control theextent of such movement substantially as set forth.

12. In an air brake coupling a coupling head carrier composed of memberssliding one upon the other a spring operating between said members, asupport in which the carrier is movable bodily and a spring operatingbetween said support and carrier the valves and their operating devicesand wind operated regulating devices whereby to control the longitudinalmovement of the carrier members, substantially as set forth.

13. In an air brake coupling the combination of the carrier composed ofmembers sliding one upon the other, the heads and their valves, Saidheads being supported on one of the carrier members, and connectionsbetween the other member and the valves whereby the movement of saidmembers upon each other will effect the opening and closing of thevalves combined with an automatically shifted regulating device by whichto control the movement of said members and thereby control the closingmovement of the valve operating devices substantially as set forth.

14. In an ait-brake coupling the combination with the carrier formed inmembers movable longitudinally one 'upon the other, the heads and theirvalves supported on one of said inembers, connections between the othermember, and the valves and a shifting regulating device sct or adj ustedby the movement of the train and operating to limit the movements ofsaid members variably under different conditions substantially as andfor the purposes sot forth.

15. In an airbrake coupling the combination of the heads and theirvalves having crank arms, the carrier member to which said heads aresecured, such member being movable along a second member and a pitmanconnecting the latter with the crank arms of the valves whereby themovement of the members upon each other will operate the valves, and ashifting regulating device whereby to control such movement variabiysubstantially as setforth.

1G. In a coupling substantially as described the combination of the headprovided at one side with a flaring fork and having at the rear side ofsaid fork a seat or bearing for the lock of the meeting coupling, andprovided at its opposite side with a finger the lock device pivoted tosaid head in rear of such finger whereby the latter will direct it intoposition to engage the meeting-head and devices by which said lock isoperated substantially as set forth.

17. The combination substantially as described of the brake valve, thesignal valve, a valve closing device common to both such valves andconnections between such device andthe valves whereby one of the valvesmay be closed subsequent to the other substantially as set forth.

18. A coupling for brakes having a valve, devices by which said valvemay be actuated toward closed position a wind operated regulating deviceand intermediate devices whereby the said regulating device may controlthe closing movement of the Valve substantially as set forth.

19. A coupling foi-air brakes, havingavalve, devices by which the valvemay be actuated toward closed position and a shifting regulating deviceby which the closing movement of the valve may be controlled, saidregulating device being automatically shifted to opposite ICO positionas the coupling is moved longitudinally inone or the other directionsubstantially as set forth.

v20. In an air brake coupling a coupling head provided upon oppositesides with ribs 0r flanges one of which forms a seat for engagement bythe standardv head and the other a seat for engagement by a box likeclamp engaging therewith and with a corresponding part in said standardhead substantially as set forth.

2l. The combination with the coupling head having a projecting rib orseat and the standard head engaged at one vside with said coupling headand having a rib or seat corresponding to that of the said coupling headof the box like clamp embracing said ribs whereby to unite 'the twoheads substantially as set forth.

22. In an air brake coupling the combination with the valve and itsclosing devices of a wind operated regulating device journaled centrallyand having opposite wind vanes and intermediate devices whereby saidregulating device will control or limit the movement of the valveclosing devices substantially as set forth.

23. In an air brake coupling the combination of the valve, its closingdevice and the wind operated regulating device pivoted centrally andhaving opposite vanes and an intermediate pendent counterbalance andconnections between the wind vane and the valve closing devicesubstantially as and for the purposes set forth.

24. An air brake coupling provided at its outer end with guiding devicescomposed of a flaring fork arranged at one side of the center, a ngerarranged at the opposite side of the center and an upright arranged atthe base of said finger substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

25. In an air brake coupling the combination with the heads of thecarrier frame having inner and outer sections secured to the front andrear ends of the heads, the head valves having their stems extendedbetween said front and rear frame sections and the valve operatingdevices connected with said stems substantially as set forth.

26. The combination in an air brake coupling of the heads thecarrier'frame having inner and outer sections supporting the oppositeends of the heads the head valves having portions projecting betweensaid frame sections and the guide devices supported on said end framesubstantially as and for the purposes set forth. y

27. The combination in an air brake coupling of the carrier memberprovided with the head frame having front and rear sections andsupporting the heads between the same, the other carrier member and thevalve operating and locking devices connected with both such memberssubstantially as set forth.

28. In an air brake coupling the head carrier provided with an end framehaving front and rear sections, the guide devices supported by saidframe, the heads arranged between the front and rear sections thereofthe valve its operating devices and the locking mechanism allsubstantially as and for the pur-v poses set forth.

29. The combination substantially as described of the brake valve, thesignal valve, devices by which said valves may be closed one subsequentto the other, and automatically shifting regulating devices by which tolimit the movement of the valve closing devices substantially as setforth.

WILLIAM A. HARRIS. BENJAMIN S. II. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

PERRY B. TURPIN, HENRY J. ROBINSON.

